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BP app linked with inaccurate readings
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A smartphone application advertised as a quick and effective method to self-measure BP missed eight out of ten risky elevated blood pressure measurements in a recent study.
To measure BP, the app Instant Blood Pressure (AuraLife) required users to place the phone on the left side of the chest while covering the camera lens with the right index finger. Instant Blood Pressure was downloaded more than 100,000 times before it was removed from Apple’s App store on July 30, 2015. Despite its removal, it still functions for those who have it downloaded on their phones. It could put users’ health at risk, according to a press release.
“We think there is definitely a role for smartphone technology in health care, but because of the significant risk of harm to users who get inaccurate information, the results of our study speak to the need for scientific validation and regulation of these apps before they reach consumers,” Timothy B. Plante, MD, a fellow in the division of general internal medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said in the release.
Plante and colleagues enrolled 85 participants aged 18 years and older at Johns Hopkins clinics. Forty-four participants were women with hypertension. Of those with hypertension, 91% were taking antihypertensive medications at the time of the study (mean age, 56.6 years; BMI, 27.8 kg/m2).
Participants had their resting BP measured twice by automated BP monitor and twice by the Instant Blood Pressure app.
Nearly 80% of the participants whose BP was high according to the automated monitor had normal BP according to the app’s calculations. The mean differences between the app and the automated monitor was 12.4 mm Hg for systolic BP and 10.1 mm Hg for diastolic BP. The application both underestimated and overestimated BP measurements, reaching the lowest possible British Hypertension Society accuracy grades for both systolic and diastolic measures. Spearman rank correlation was 0.44 (P < .001) for systolic BP and 0.41 (P < .001) for diastolic BP.
Plante and colleagues noted that despite the failure of this particular app, smartphone technology has the potential to be a useful resource to help people manage their health.
References:
Plante T, et al. Poster 04.
Plante T, et al. JAMA Intern Med. 2016; doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.0157.
Disclosure: The study was supported by the PJ Schafer Cardiovascular Research Fund. Plante reports no relevant financial disclosures.